Sales Training and Leadership Development Blog

One of the best examples of leadership in our government is Congressman Ron Paul.  Unlike most people involved in Government he tells it like it is instead of telling people what they want to hear.

Here is a short video, about 4 minutes, in which he explains the steps we need to enact real change in our government.   Barack Obama talks about change while proposing programs and choosing people that will merely maintain the status quo.  Whereas this is a tried and true political tactic…provide the illusion of doing things differently while in reality doing the same thing, I think the current situation requires real change to be enacted.

Congressman Ron Paul discusses Social Security, Madoff, Fractional Reserve Banking and the need for change.

Have a great day.

Today’s post is going to sound like a sales pitch, which I can assure you it is not.  Over the holidays I purchased a small pendant know as a “Q-Link“, which is purported to give you -

• More energy
• Less stress
• Greater Focus and
• Improved well-being

I am typically skeptical of devices like the Q-link, which consists of a small crystal embedded in a pendant that is supposed to focus your body’s electrical field and help you resist stress, especially from electronic devices.  Doesn’t that sound like a bunch of hooey?  Does to me, but here is the background.

I first heard about the q-link when I worked for Tony Robbins.  The sales rep who worked with me used one and swore by it.  “Did you know Tony wears one?”, he asked.  Of course I did not, but I was intrigued.  Then I heard Tony talk about it.  He was also skeptical at first, but tried one out at the insistence of his then wife.  He became a believer.  This intrigued me even further, but I still didn’t buy one both because of the cost and the fact that there was still an element of disbelief in my mind.

(I am curious to know whether or not Tony still wears one.  From the way he talked about it you would think he would, but you never know.)

In the intervening years between when I worked for Tony and today I honestly forgot that the device even existed.  I had read a study somewhere where it had been tested on athletes at West Point, favorably I might add, but that was all.  Then, in a recent article in Men’s Journal I read about a similar product, put out by who I believe are the same people, in which the author reported very positive results.  I decided to try it, and for good measure I bought one for my girlfriend as well.

The pendant arrived in the mail today and we both put them on.  Honestly, I felt a change in my physiology immediately.  My girlfriend did not.  My first thought - Placebo effect, since I had been reading and hearing about the device for years I naturally had an expectation of how it would work.  That would account for the effectiveness if it was in fact acting as a placebo.

(My view on the Placebo effect is that it really doesn’t matter how it works, as long as it works.  I would much rather take a placebo than the real thing as long as I get the same effect.)

But was it a placebo?  My girlfriend, who aside from being beautiful and hot is also the world’s biggest skeptic, had no prior knowledge of the device or any idea of what to expect.  As I said, she felt nothing immediately upon wearing the q-link, although she did notice a change in my behavior and demeanor.  A few hours later however, and she came downstairs saying that she had so much energy she felt like she was on speed.  All this from a little tiny device.

To be honest I am not yet fully convinced, but I am intrigued.  The change in my mood will have to withstand the test of time, but both my girlfriend and I are open minded about it.

What’s important about this is not that the q-link works, although that in and of itself is pretty cool, but the role a high energy level plays in our lives.  In order to be truly successful in any area of our life we need to be focused and to take action.  Action requires energy and in today’s high stress world a lot of us are operating on low energy reserves.  We need to actively manage our lives such that we can accomplish all the things we need to accomplish while still maintaining a high level of energy.  For me, the q-link seems to work, and adds more energy than I was getting from exercise alone.  For you it might be something else, but you need to find whatever that something is and do it.

We are still in New Year’s resolution mode.  I was at Staple’s today and the place was packed with people buying things to get organized.  It’s like going to the gym this month - you’ll be there with everyone trying to exercise themselves into shape in advance of Summer.  Don’t treat your physical structure and the steps needed to support your physical body fall by the wayside like most New Year resolutions.  Save your energy and get things done.

Like most of the Western world, and perhaps the rest of the world, I just don’t know how the Islamic crescent views New Year’s, I am going to make some resolutions for the New Year.  Based on past experience, I am not going to place a whole lot of effort on them, but since this is a time of reflection, I at least have to make the effort.

There are of course my perennial resolutions -

• lose weight
• Make more money, (or in 2009, cut my expenses and save more money)
• Work on bettering my relationships

Those seem to be on everyone’s New Year’s resolution list, with smoker’s adding “Quit Smoking”.  I’ll keep them on the list because, like old friend’s, I would hate to see them go.  They are familiar and comfortable and besides, I really can benefit from fulfilling those resolutions.

This year I am going to add some resolutions that are more process oriented. Here are some that just popped into my head:

- I resolve to question my assumptions and beliefs.  There are so many problems facing us as individuals, businesses and as a nation that are the result of flawed thinking and assumptions.  I will start to take a hard look at the sources of my beliefs and to question their credibility.

- I resolve to look at the systems in my life with a zero based viewpoint.  So many times we just end up someplace or doing something by default.  Whether it is a job, a relationship or simply a pattern of eating we all need to take a look at what we do and how we do it.  If we were starting from scratch would we incorporate it into our life?  As for my, I am going to look at everything from this point of view.  This is a process goal and not an end in itself.

-  I resolve to vote out the bastards.  Most people have heard the definition of insanity as “doing the same thing and expecting different results.”  We need to extend this to our political leaders, (or non-leaders.  I also resolve to be more precise in my definitions).  These bastards got us into the current economic mess we are in because of there greed, incompetence and corruption.  We are insane if we expect them to get us out of this mess.  I also resolve to reject the mainstream political parties.  They are two faces of the same coin and any thought that they can bring change, or even desire it, is crazy.

-  I resolve to effect change at the local level, where I can seriously make a difference.  It is so easy to take on something distant that we can’t really affect, like starving children in Darfur, where we can simply give money and then feel good about ourselves.  Not to take anything away from these good causes, but we all need to focus more on something we can really resolve.  Take manmade global warming.  There is no evidence that it even exists but we will spend literally billions of dollars to try to fix it.  That money would be better spent solving real problems like clean drinking water or infrastructure spending.  By the same token not spending the money would be a good idea.  We need to get away from spending at all levels.

-  I resolve to watch even less TV, and especially mainstream news sources.  These are increasingly becoming propaganda outlets for the government and the forces against change.  I watch little TV anyway, but I have watched a bit more during the holidays and have concluded that it really is crap and that it really is harmful to clear and level headed thinking.  I will watch less.

These resolutions involve a change of thinking, rather than a simple act.  I truly believe that 2009 needs to be a year of change, and that the old way of doing things just doesn’t cut it anymore.  So tonight, after enjoying my single malt, cigars and other pleasures it is time to start making the change happen.

Happy 2009!

The New Year is always a time of reflection and renewal.  We look back upon the past, note what we should have done different and make resolutions (which are really wishes, unless they are done right) about the future.

Reflection is an important step, because oftentimes the world moves by much too fast for us to realistically gauge the impact of our actions and decisions at the time, but reflection is not enough.  In order to make real changes one needs to take action.  Action determined by the results of your reflection can be powerful.

Today is Christmas Eve in the western world and in honor of the holiday my post will be brief.  First off, Merry Christmas to everyone who visits my site.  I won’t waste the effort to wish for peace on Earth as that simply isn’t going to happen, at least not to the second coming of Christ.

Now for the accountability part, and this focuses on President Elect Obama and the announcement from his transition team (he is of course savoring his election victory on the beach in Hawaii, seemingly above such matters) that there were no improprieties in their involvement with the corrupt Governor of Illinois.  I was very glad to learn of this since the last thing we need is Obama being exposed as corrupt even before he takes office.

The only problem I have with the announcement, and I am sure this is unfounded, is that the investigation into the matter was conducted internally, with no outside third party (and presumedly unbiased) oversight.  No evidence was released, like transcripts, testimonies, e-mail’s or tapes, that would prove their statement.  We are simply to take it at face value.  “We have investigated ourselves and found that we didn’t do anything wrong.”  Yeah…right!

And so the game continues.  No accountability; no leadership and no outcry against the lies and disception that have been a part of the Obama campaign since the beginning.

A key part of leadership is accountability.  In fact, I would hold it up as the single most critical element.  Going into the New Year we need to focus on holding all levels of our government accountable, and this starts at the top.

Wow, I haven’t updated my blog in what seems like forever, but that in actuality has been about a month.  I do realize though that things change so rapidly in the world of the Internet that a month can really be forever.  It is all about momentum and  a month long break really takes the momentum out of one’s effort.

That being said, I never lost touch with what is going on in the world and in business and how that affects sales and leadership, which are the two focus areas  of this blog.  Even the most out of touch and unconnected individual realizes that the economy is sliding rapidly into a deep recession.  Not just a recession, which we have been experiencing for about a year, but a very deep and prolonged recession that might even sink into a depression, which is really bad.

On the surface, the problem is lack of sales.  Sales have been dropping around the world.  I keep in touch with people in a variety of industries around the world and I can tell you no one is getting rich in the current environment.Very few companies are selling anywhere near enough material to maintain their current level of business.  Some businesses are laying off people.  All businesses are cutting costs and hoping things will turn around quickly next year.  I don’t think we are anywhere near the end of this economic downturn and that is something I will be discussing over the next few weeks and periodically through out the next year.

On a much deeper level what we are experiencing comes from a lack of leadership at all levels of society.  Leadership requires responsibility and discipline, not greed and an overriding devotion to one’s self-interest.  Our system of government is no longer sustainable.  The costs are just too large, and we need desperately to transition to a different leadership model in both politics and business.  I will address that too in my posts.

Today’s post is to make the statement that I am back.  Stay tuned.

How good are you at taking advice from someone?  How about constructive criticism, or as I like to call it, “Destructive Criticism”?  It’s easy to dish out advice and much harder to take it.  So how are you doing?

I have recently participated in Kevin Hogan’s Internet Marketing and Wealth Course.  In fact, it is still going on and most of you reading this post are in fact participants in the course.  Let me ask you, have you learned anything from the various members of the course?  I know you learned a lot from Kevin, the course is a fire hose of information that will rapidly propel you into the Internet marketing field, but I am always amazed at the specialized knowledge each and every member of the class brings to the course.

Take Angela Silvestri and her knowledge of ear coning.  I am a trained engineer, a skeptic by nature and tend to base my view of the world on rationality and logic.  Still, her descriptions and the strength of her belief in the efficacy of ear coning has ignited in me a curiosity to at least try it out.  Heck, I’ll try everything once (twice if it’s fun) and she has persuaded me to at least experience it.

How about the field of numerology?  John Ho is a master of Pure Numerology and has been very forthcoming with information and giving to all members of the course.  The strength of his convictions has moved me from the solid belief that numerology is simply cold reading at its best.  Not fully convinced me, but definitely opened my mind to the possibilities.

In the field of business I have learned a wealth of information about the mind of the consumer from Consumer Behavior Expert Philip Graves and Corporate Record Keeping from Corporate VeilPro creator Rob Northrup, who is also an accomplished sales professional and co-author of the Bold Calling program.  Go Rob!

Body Language was a popular subject in the class, which makes sense since Kevin Hogan is a nationally known body language expert.  Cindy Eyanson and Lena Milukh provided excellent advice and examples of how to read and decode body language.  Darryl Pace and Sabrina Peterson were our resident fitness experts (okay, Sabrina wasn’t technically in this class but she provided great fun and lots of great information.)

So the original question was how well do you take advice, but what I really meant to ask was how well do you implement?  I consider myself very knowledgable in the field of communications but there were times I was blown away by Communication Expert David Parnell.  I have printed out several of his posts because they have information that I can apply to both my business and personal lives.

Intuitive John Shoemaker challenged me on many different mental planes with his heartfelt posts that dealt with listening to our intuition while Chef Jenya introduced us to the advantages of eating raw food.

Need a babysitter?  If you do you might want to check out Lisa McClellen’s Babysitting website for tips and advice both on how to be one and how to pick one.  Of course, before you can find yourself in the fortunate position of needing a babysitter you need to hook up.  Don’t know how?  Well you can head on over to Dating Maven April Braswell’s online dating site and fill your head with loads of advice and ideas on being the perfect date.  Before you go out on a date, be sure you dress well by visiting Jennifer Skinner’s Very Small closet website for fashion tips.

Approach anxiety in the dating field?  World Renown Hypnotist David Power or Jennifer Battaglino can help you with any phobias and fears you might have.  Dr. Michael Roth can help you with either a bad back or any emotional issues that might be holding you back.  Of course, if you get too far along in your relationships you will need our very own DIY Lawyer for that all essential pre-nup agreement.  Oops, almost forgot Craig Ernst for Real Estate.

That should be everyone.  I didn’t start out this post intending for it to turn out like this, but that’s how things go I guess.

Have a great Day.

An important quality for the salesperson is the ability to carry on a conversation and to be interesting.  Makes sense and seems simple right?  Unfortunately many salespeople find this much more difficult than it has to be.  The best ways to improve your conversational ability is preparation and practice.

Practice is self-explanatory.  You simply need to get out there and to start talking to people.  I have a belief that everyone wants to talk and engage in conversation and most of them also want to have a conversation with me.  This might not be true but I find it to be a very helpful belief regardless.  (Noted body language expert and best selling author Kevin Hogan once said that when you hallucinate it’s best to hallucinate in a way that is supportive of you. I heartily agree with and practice that advice.)

So step one seems pretty simple, just get out there and start up conversations.  Realize that people are generally lonely and isolated and are desperately seeking connection.  You can be that connection.  There are a thousand tips on how to make the conversation flow smoother and easier, but that is a subject for another few posts.  (If you’re impatient for this knowledge you can check out the websites of Communication Expert David Parnell, Body Langauge Expert Cindy Eyanson or Body Language Expert Lena Milukh for more immediate information).

Now for step two, preparation.  The simplest and best way to prepare for a conversation is to know what is going on in the world around you.  I am a big fan of the newspaper, either online or printed.  In actuality it is better to get the printed version because you will find it easier to actually read it and you’ll find other interesting things as you scan the paper that may come in handy.  Furthermore, if you want to increase the likelihood of becoming financially successful go ahead and get the Financial Times as well.  You won’t regret it.

Every morning take out the paper and scan the headlines in both the main section, the business section and the sports page.  This will give you a basic outline of what is going on around you in the world.  Now take the time and read two stories from the front page and two stories from the sports page.  Try to gain enough knowledge form the stories to be able to talk for 1-2 minutes about the article.  Now your done.

With these simple and easy tips you will find it easier to start and maintain interesting conversations. This will benefit both your personal and business lives.

Continuing from my earlier post, I am a big believer in the effectiveness of serving the customers best interest even at the expense of a current sale.  I have practiced what I preach ever since I entered the sales profession over 13 years ago.

The reason I do this is simple, I want to be the trusted advisor and resource for the customer in the area of my specialty.  There are a few things I know very well in this life, and one of them is always whatever I happen to be selling.  You see, I make it a point to only sell the best, and this includes solutions.  Whichever solution I determine is best for the customer is the one I wil sell to them.  Oftentimes it involves my product or my service, but sometimes it does not.

On those occasions I tell this to the customer and then hand him off to my competitor.  I do make it a point to know and to usually be on friendly terms with each of my competitors.  It makes good business sense and we can often help each other serve the customer.  Doesn’t always work but in the occasions it does it is great.

Well it’s black Friday.  I hope you are all having a happy Thanksgiving day weekend.

Short post tonight as I intend to relax for the evening in preparation for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  I hope everyone is with family and friends and that we all take the time to really give thanks for the blessings we enjoy.

Have a great holiday weekend.